Georges St-Pierre says not all fans will appreciate the technical aspects of MMA

While the UFC has made astounding strides in its quest for global domination of the MMA market, two of the promotion’s most well-known stars have come under fire as of late.

Middleweight champion Anderson Silva was lambasted for his UFC 112 win over Demian Maia, and dominant welterweight title holder Georges St-Pierre also received some harsh criticism for his decision win over Dan Hardy at UFC 111.

At a recent fan Q&A session, St-Pierre said he made every effort to finish his fight, but he also thinks it’s difficult to always please what he considers two types of MMA fans.

“I think there are two kinds of fans,” St-Pierre said. “There are the fans that like only to see a brawl, and there is the type of fans that know the game and know what’s going on. I think for the fans that know what’s going on, I’m talking about the technical aspect, I think they will appreciate those kind of fights.”

While St-Pierre has proven himself one of the most dynamic fighters in MMA, his critics have pointed toward his tendency to rely on wrestling and even described his technique as a “lay and pray” style. The French-Canadian believes that is an unfair description and credited his opponent for fighting through a few difficult positions.

“The thing is, sometimes the fight doesn’t go always like we want to,” St-Pierre said. “In my last fight, for example, two times I tried to finish Dan Hardy, and I came very close. The first round, I had a juji-gatame. I almost popped the arm. In the third round, I had a kimura. If I would have got the finish, nobody would have said nothing about it. It would have been , ‘Oh, what a great win. Georges is great.’

“I give the credit to Dan Hardy. He did the perfect textbook escape, and I did some technical mistakes that didn’t allow me to finish the fight. Of course I’m a little bit disappointed. I like to finish guys, but sometimes fights don’t always go the way we want them to. Next time I will do better.”

St-Pierre’s argument is especially poignant when considering the backlash over Silva’s inability to finish Maia after two rounds of striking domination mixed with a healthy dose of taunting.

But St-Pierre’s strategy to put Hardy on his back for 25 minutes is understandable considering the Brit’s reputation as a powerful striker. Likewise, Silva elected to keep Maia at bay while working to stay away from his dangerous grappling attack.

St-Pierre said it’s natural to want to attack opponents where they have proven weakest in the past.

“Nobody is invincible,” St-Pierre said. “There is always a chance that you can get caught or you can get submitted or something can happen.

“When I fought Dan Hardy, I knew Dan Hardy’s main asset was striking. I could have stayed standing up with him, but if I would have done so, it would not have been smart because what I want to do when I fight my opponent, I want to avoid the fight where my opponent is strong and fight him where he is the weakest. This principle that I just said has been used for centuries in war and in business and everything. All the successful people in the world use those principles.”

So while fans may continue to voice their disapproval at fighters who seem more intent to keep themselves out of trouble than seeking a finish, St-Pierre said it’s important to remember that mixed martial arts is a thinking man’s game, as well.

“It’s very important that when you step into the octagon, the fight is not only with the muscle; it’s with the brain,” St-Pierre said. “You need to come there with the right strategy and a good gameplan.”

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